Americans now agree: Guns make homes safer

Bang! For the first time, a growing -- and already substantial -- majority of Americans now believe having a gun in the home makes it a safer place to live.

Put that in your chamber and cock it.

Gallup, which has been surveying the politically volatile question for a generation, announced this morning a new poll revealing that nearly two-out-of-three Americans (63%) now say having a firearm there makes a home safer.

That's nearly twice the number who said that just before 9/11.

And the explosion of support has come across all political boundaries. Back in the fall of 2000, barely a third thought that (35%), while a majority (51%) said guns made homes more dangerous.

But the number who say guns increase home safety has been steadily increasing while the number who see them as increasing danger has been steadily declining -- from 35% in 2000 to 42% four years later to 47% in 2006 and now a jump all the way up to 63%.

In the same time periods, the number who see guns as boosting home danger steadily dropped from 51% to 46% to 43% and now only 30%.

"Although there is a gender gap in the results for this question," Gallup said, "majorities of both men (67%) and women (58%) believe having a gun improves home safety."

Republicans, being somewhat more educated, are almost twice as likely (81%) as Democrats (41%) to buy the home gun ownership safety argument. Independents come in at 61% on the home safety aspect of guns.

Southerners and whites are more likely than others to believe firearm ownership enhance home safety. But wait! Majorities of the non-white population and other regions also agree now.

Gallup did not measure the political impact of this powerful trend, but it does seem likely to complicate any drive for more restrictions on the private ownership of firearms.

In 2000, only 28% of Democrats favored gun ownership as boosting home safety. But even among that crowd, the percentage has jumped now to 41%. Among independents, the 14-year growth has been 35% to 64%.

Republicans always believed that, 44% in 2000. And now they're even more convinced at 81%, Gallup discovered.

The percentage of Americans who actually do have a firearm in their home reached a majority high of 51% early in the Clinton presidency, dropped to 34% by the end, rose to 43% halfway through the presidency of George W. Bush and has risen to the mid-forties during Obama's six long years.

Today, burglars must be in a real quandary as nearly half of all American homes (42%) have guns there. And the number is up this year over last. Ah, but which half is more vulnerable and which half is more likely to be able to respond to a home invasion with lethal sudden trouble?

Men (47%) and women (38%) are not that far apart in gun ownership rates. Whites (47%) exceed non-whites (28%).

Democrats are more hesitant about gun ownership at 27%. Independents are a larger ownership group at 43%, while a substantial majority of Republicans, not surprisingly, do own such weapons.

By regions, the East and West are slightly less interested in actual gun ownership, at 59% each. Barack Obama's Midwest comes in at 62%, while the South dominates at 68% household gun ownership.

Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however no guarantee is made or implied with respect to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. Authors may own the stocks they discuss. The information and content are subject to change without notice.